Department for Transport

Network Rail: Business Plans

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate was made of the cost of Control Period 5 in (a) the initial industry plan published in September 2011 and (b) Network Rail's final strategic business plan.

Claire Perry: (a) The initial industry plan (IIP) of September 2011 for England and Wales, which set out a range of options for investment in the railway in Control Period 5, included proposals for funding of up to an additional £4.9 billion beyond that already committed. The separate IIP for Scotland included proposals for up to an additional £699 million.  (b) Network Rail’s Strategic Business Plan (SBC) for England and Wales, published in January 2013, included a total of £10.041 billion and the SBC for Scotland included a total of £1,430 million.

Great Western Railway Line: Electrification

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the most recent cost estimate held by his Department for Great Western Main Line electrification is greater than the efficient cost estimate set by the Office of Rail and Road's Enhancement Cost Adjustment Mechanism on 12 September 2014.

Claire Perry: Network Rail have advised the Department that since the GWEP ECAM determination on the 12 September 2014, they have identified that the cost forecast will be higher. As part of Sir Peter Hendy’s review Network Rail intends to produce a revised baseline plan later in autumn 2015.

Directly Operated Railways

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Directly Operated Railways will publish an annual report for 2014-15.

Claire Perry: Yes. Directly Operated Railways are planning to publish their annual report and accounts for 2014/15 in October 2015.

Midland Main Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the decision on rolling stock procurement for the Midland Main Line will be made by the direct award being negotiated with East Midlands Trains or the next franchise award.

Claire Perry: I announced the terms of the Direct Award with East Midlands Trains on 16 September.

Midland Main Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with East Midlands Trains and rolling stock companies on (a) extending the operational life of Intercity 125 trains operating on the Midland Main Line and making them compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and (b) procuring new intercity rolling stock for operation on that line.

Claire Perry: I have frequent meetings on a range of issues including rolling stock. We are committed to putting passengers first.

Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with rail heritage organisations on the future of the Class 14X series Pacer trains.

Claire Perry: The rolling stock market is a private sector one and Class 14X Pacer trains are owned by rolling stock companies. The Secretary of State has held no recent discussions with rail heritage organisations about the future of the Pacer trains.

Oxford-Hereford Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of double tracking the single track sections of the Cotswold Line.

Claire Perry: The Department is working with Network Rail and First Great Western to appraise the case to increase the Oxford – Worcester train services to half-hourly and to reduce journey times.

Great Western Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's estimate was of the cost of the Great Western Route Modernisation investment plan on the most recent date for which figures were available.

Claire Perry: Some of the projects which make up the Great Western Route Modernisation have yet go through the ECAM process. But as the Hon Member is aware Sir Peter Hendy is currently reviewing the portfolio and will report back later in autumn.

South West Trains

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he was consulted prior to Network Rail's decision to reshape the South West Trains Alliance announced on 12 June 2015.

Claire Perry: The Secretary of State was notified that the Deep Alliance was being terminated and reshaped prior to the announcement on 12th June.　 This was a commercial decision for Network Rail and South West Trains to make.

Network Rail: Finance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Network Rail has requested an increase to its CP5 borrowing facility limit since 4 July 2014.

Claire Perry: The Secretary of State has not received any formal request from Network Rail to increase its Control Period 5 borrowing facility limit since 4 July 2014.

Railways: Freight

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of Network Rail's decision to pause the Ely to Soham double tracking project on the forecast maximum number of freight trains per day that could be run on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton route by the end of Control Period 5.

Claire Perry: Network Rail has paused a small number of schemes where it makes sense to do so to avoid potentially abortive costs or planning applications, particularly where the cost estimate has increased significantly as in the case of Ely to Soham where work has identified that this project is far more complex than anticipated and so the estimated cost has more than trebled.   The Ely to Soham double tracking work is one of a number of schemes which are needed to increase the number of freight trains which can run on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton route and a lot has been completed already. Network Rail has constructed a new section of railway at Nuneaton (Nuneaton North Chord), a new 1.2km stretch of track at Ipswich (Ipswich Chord) as well as various other pieces of work to re-model, re-signal and upgrade sections of the route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton.　 On its own therefore, the Ely to Soham doubling does not affect the number of freight trains which can operate.

Network Rail: Business Plans

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department received a copy of Network Rail's Control Period 5 Business Plan Update on 31 March 2015.

Claire Perry: The Department did not receive a copy of Network Rail's Control Period 5 Business Plan Update on 31 March 2015. However, a letter from Mark Carne to Richard Price (the Chief Executive of Office of Rail and Road) on this subject was copied to the relevant official in the Department on that date.

East-West Rail Link

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken by Network Rail to reach GRIP 3 single option selection of the East West Rail Western Section Phase Two on the delivery timetable of that project.

Claire Perry: Network Rail carried out an extensive process involving the East West Rail Consortium and representatives from Train Operators to identify options for the scope of East West Rail Phase 2. This took into account the views of key stakeholders to identify the best options to take forward to a more detailed level of development. Network Rail have advised that they have now completed GRIP stage 2 and have begun consultations with local people and businesses prior to seeking the necessary powers to deliver the scheme.

Network Rail: Expenditure

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Sir Peter Hendy's review of Network Rail's investment programme is examining the company's maintenance and renewals spending plans for Control Period 5.

Claire Perry: A process to update Control Period 5 plans for maintenance and renewals delivery is running in parallel with Sir Peter Hendy’s Control Period 5 Enhancements Re-planning Exercise.

East-West Rail Link

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with the East West Rail Consortium and Network Rail on the possible inclusion of the East West Rail Central Section in the industry's initial plans for Control Period 6.

Claire Perry: The Department and the East West Rail Consortium are working with Network Rail to develop the business case for the central section. The two most promising route corridors are now being examined. The aim is to identify and appraise a single route option in time for the outcome to be included in the industry’s initial plan for Control Period 6.

Railways

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the rail network to meet future demand; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Network Rail monitors and assesses the capacity of its rail network as part of the long term planning obligations set in its license conditions, and publishes this information.

Department for Transport: Freedom of Information

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many hours his Department spent on processing freedom of information requests in each of the last 24 months.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Processing Freedom of Information requests is an integral part of civil servants' responsibilities. The number of hours spent on this activity is not separately identifiable.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Planning Permission: Public Opinion

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department issues guidance to local planning authorities on the weight to place on (a) individual public responses and (b) overall local public opinion when processing planning applications.

Brandon Lewis: Where a material consideration is raised through public consultation, the weight to be given to that consideration is a question for the decision maker and will depend on the circumstances of the specfic case (subject to the test of legal reasonableness).

Social Security Benefits

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to provide additional support to local authorities in areas with most people who will be affected by the benefit cap.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government will increase funding for Discretionary Housing Payments to a total of £800 million across the Parliament to enable local authorities to help people who need extra support with housing costs. As in previous years, funding will be allocated to local authorities based on local pressures, including housing benefit caseload and the effects of reforms in Housing Benefit. We consider these local impacts each year during our allocation of Discretionary Housing Payment funds, and this will continue.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether UK-manufactured arms are being used in the conflict in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. friend, the Member for Portsmouth North (Penny Mordaunt) on 16 July (PQ 7583).

Burundi: Armed Conflict

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on progress made by the Burundian government on the commitments made in UN Security Council resolution 1606.

Grant Shapps: UN Security Council Resolution 1606 reaffirmed support for the Arusha Peace Agreement and began the process for establishing a truth commission and special chamber within Burundi’s court system to ensure reconciliation and bring to justice those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Progress by the Burundian government has been extremely slow with the Truth and Reconciliation Law only submitted to Parliament in December 2012 and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission appointed in December 2014. More recently, the Burundian government has refused to engage with the UN and has refused the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to Burundi. The UK Government continues to voice concerns over the delay given the links between impunity and instability in Burundi.

Burundi: Armed Conflict

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on progress by the Burundian government on establishing a truth commission.

Grant Shapps: The Burundian government first submitted the Truth and Reconciliation Law to Parliament in December 2012 before announcing the appointment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on 3 December 2014. It has not reported further since then. We understand that opposition parties boycotted the process over the remit of the Commission, calling into question its ability to establish the truth and bring reconciliation. The UK Government believes that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, guided by the Arusha Agreement signed in the aftermath of Burundi’s civil war, has an important role in ensuring long-term reconciliation. The illegitimate elections and continued violence show that the principles of inclusion set out in the Arusha Agreement are needed now more than ever and we continue to urge all in Burundi to uphold them.

Forced Marriage

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many women have been repatriated after seeking help from the risk of forced marriage from the Forced Marriage Unit or a British Post overseas in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Grant Shapps: The Forced Marriage Unit provides a range of support and assistance to both women and men who are at risk of forced marriage. In 2014 the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support, related to a possible forced marriage, in 1267 cases. To provide more information on the nature of the assistance provided, including repatriation, would involve a disproportionate cost.

Israel: Palestinians

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Israel and Palestine; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We closely monitor the political and security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) discussed the future of the peace process, the situation on the ground and developments in the region with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 10 September. Most recently, we have been concerned by violence at the Temple Mount / Haram Al Sharif compound. I issued a statement on this matter on 16 September.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the treatment of gay, lesbian and transgender people by the Palestinian Police and Palestinian Authority.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are deeply concerned about the treatment of the LGBT community in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), particularly in Gaza where they are subject to widespread social discrimination for cultural and religious reasons. Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in the OPTs. In some places, such as Ramallah, these taboos are relaxed, but in more conservative areas the situation is very challenging. There are no laws protecting LGBT people, however we are not aware of any recent legal cases being prosecuted against LGBT people.

Yemen: Cultural Heritage

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of antiquities and historic sites in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen are parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict and to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. We have raised our concerns regarding protection of cultural property with the Saudi Arabian government and have received assurances. A political solution is the best way to achieve long-term stability in Yemen, and we remain fully and actively supportive of the UN’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict.

Central African Republic: Elections

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is giving to the Central African Republic to help ensure safe, fair and transparent elections in that country next month.

Grant Shapps: Following the President of the National Transition Council’s call for a new electoral timetable in his closing speech to the National Assembly on 31 August, elections will not go ahead in the Central African Republic (CAR) in October 2015. CAR’s Electoral Authority will now produce a new electoral timetable. Free, fair and inclusive elections are crucial for the Central African Republic’s future stability and progress towards reconciliation. The UK welcomes the Central African Republic’s Constitutional Court ruling that all citizens of the Central African Republic, including internally displaced people and refugees in neighbouring countries, have the right to vote in upcoming elections and is pleased that electoral registration has now begun in neighbouring countries. The UK is supportive of an EU Electoral Observation Mission to the Central African Republic, subject to further discussions in Brussels later this year.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to assist in the brokering of peace in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: A political solution is the best way to achieve long-term stability in Yemen, and we remain fully and actively supportive of the UN’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict and resumption of an inclusive political process. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with eighty per cent of the population in need of assistance. The Department for International Development has allocated £55 million, through UN agencies and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations, to support Yemenis affected by the crisis.

Turkey: Kurds

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Turkish government on achieving a truce between Turkish armed forces and Kurdish militants.

Mr David Lidington: We have made clear, in our communication with the Turkish Government, the importance of finding a way back to the peace process, in the interests of Turkey and the wider region. The UK condemns the PKK’s ( Kurdistan Workers' Party) recent attacks in Turkey, as we condemn all terrorism. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed. We have called on the PKK to cease this violence. I raised these issues in a meeting with my Turkish counterpart on 14 August, and in my statement on 9 September. I also made these points to the co-chair of the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party), Selahattin Demirtaş, on 25 August.

Cabinet Office

Dinitrophenol

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died after taking dinitrophenol in each of the last five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Dinitrophenal Death
(PDF Document, 119.83 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Science: Expenditure

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Government plans to reduce its spending on science in the next three years.

Joseph Johnson: My Rt. hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in December 2014 a long-term commitment to investment in science infrastructure of £1.1bn per annum in real terms to 2021. Decisions on the amount and allocation of research resource funding beyond 2015/16 will be made during the Spending Review. We cannot pre-judge the Spending Review outcome.

Department for International Development

Refugees

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what time limits there are on funding allocated by her Department to local authorities to support incoming refugees.

Justine Greening: As with all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA), the UK complies with the OECD DAC’s guidelines, including for costs relating to support to refugees in donor countries.

Department for International Development: Freedom of Information

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many hours her Department spent on processing freedom of information requests in each of the last 24 months.

Grant Shapps: All DFID staff are responsible for ensuring that the Department is able to meet its legislative obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and may be involved in the processing of requests. The number of hours spent on this activity is not separately identifiable.

Department for Education

Schools: Cheshire

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the current status is of schools placed in special measures in (a) Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency and (b) Cheshire West and Chester local authority area.

Edward Timpson: Only one school within the relevant areas is currently in special measures; the University of Chester Academy Northwich. The recent Ofsted monitoring inspections of 4 March 2015 and 10 June 2015, both found the school to be making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure pupils are able to share information about their backgrounds and cultures as part of personal, social and health education.

Edward Timpson: Education is a devolved power; as such, this reply concerns schools in England only. It is for schools to tailor their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme to reflect the needs of their pupils. We expect teachers to understand how best to create a safe environment for PSHE, so that pupils feel able to discuss and reflect on issues that are important to them. We have provided funding to the PSHE Association to work with schools to advise them in developing their own PSHE curriculum and improve the quality of teaching. This includes signposting schools to high-quality resources. Department for Education guidance on promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils states that pupils must be encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. The guidance for schools is found online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc

Extracurricular Activities

Mr Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to encourage the extension of the school day to create more opportunities for young people to access extracurricular activities.

Nick Gibb: The government has made it easier for all schools to make changes to the length, structure and content of the school day so that every school in England has the flexibility to decide when their school day should start and finish. We trust headteachers to decide how best to structure their school day to support their pupils’ education.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Mr Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the development of character and life skills in young people.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education is investing £5 million to expand the capacity of schools and voluntary organisations in order to deliver character education. We are committed to ensuring that all young people develop a range of character attributes, such as resilience and grit, which underpin success in education and employment. We want to ensure all young people are prepared for life in modern Britain.

Extracurricular Activities

Mr Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of (a) young people's access to extracurricular activities designed to help their personal development and (b) opportunities for increasing the availability of such activities.

Edward Timpson: The Department is committed to implementing measures to support schools to build character, resilience and grit in their pupils. Participating in extracurricular activities is one aspect of building character in young people.  We are supporting head teachers to decide the activities they offer and how best to structure the school day in the best interests of their pupils. We are investing £5 million to expand character education, which includes funding projects that offer extracurricular activities that help prepare children for successful adult life. We have also made it easier for all schools to make changes to the length, structure and content of the school day so that they can expand the range of activities that they offer where it would benefit their pupils.

Children in Care

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is the Government taking to ensure that young people in children's homes have the option of receiving support until the age of 21, as children in foster care currently do.

Edward Timpson: All care leavers receive support from a personal adviser until age 21; this extends to age 25 if a care leaver remains engaged in education or training. All care leavers also receive a leaving care grant to help with the costs of setting up home; and those attending further and higher education receive financial support to meet the costs associated with engaging in education in the form of further education and higher education bursaries. Each care leaver has a pathway plan setting out the support they will receive from the local authority in order to meet their goals.   The department recognises that the transition into adulthood can often be difficult for care leavers because they may not receive the same level of support as young people who live with their families. This is what prompted us to introduce the ‘staying put’ duty in 2014, which requires local authorities to support young people to continue living with their former foster carers up to age 21, if both they and their foster carer are happy with this arrangement.   Our statutory guidance makes clear that local authorities should have a range of semi-independent and independent accommodation options for all those leaving care. The government is also looking at what more can be done to improve support for care leavers, building on the first ever cross-government care leaver strategy which was introduced in October 2013, with the aim of giving all care leavers, whatever their care experience, a good start to adulthood.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish for all courts in Greater Manchester travel time data comparable to that provided in his Department's consultation document for courts which have been proposed for closure.

Mr Shailesh Vara: In an increasingly digital age, users will not always need to attend hearings in person in order to access the justice system and whilst we have already established alternative ways users can interact with our services, we are looking to expand these provisions to provide more choice than is currently available. For example through making better use of technology, including video conferencing, and exploring whether we can appropriately make use of civic buildings for certain types of hearing. No decisions will be made until every response to the consultation has been carefully considered. Comparable travel time data for all courts in Greater Manchester that are not included in the consultation, is provided below. This shows that 99.6% of citizens in Greater Manchester will still be able to reach their court within an hour by car if those courts included in the consultation were to close. Alexandra House, Manchester Tribunals   Time%By Car0-30min52%30-60min44%60-120min4%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min7%30-60min45%60-120min45%>120min3%no data0%Bolton Crown Court   Time%By Car0-30min84%30-60min16%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min35%30-60min55%60-120min10%>120min0%no data0%  Bolton Magistrates’ CourtTime%By Car0-30min100%30-60min0%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min66%30-60min30%60-120min4%>120min0%no data0%  Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court   Time%By Car0-30min100%30-60min0%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min42%30-60min58%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%  Manchester Civil Justice Centre   Time%By Car0-30min100%30-60min0%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min46%30-60min54%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%  Manchester Crown Court (Crown Square)   Time%By Car0-30min99%30-60min1%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min21%30-60min73%60-120min6%>120min0%no data0%  Manchester Crown Court (Minshull Street)   Time%By Car0-30min76%30-60min24%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min19%30-60min62%60-120min18%>120min0%no data0%  Tameside Magistrates’ Court and County Court   Time%By Car0-30min100%30-60min0%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min54%30-60min46%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%  Wigan County Court   Time%By Car0-30min98%30-60min2%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min38%30-60min57%60-120min5%>120min0%no data0%  Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court   Time%By Car0-30min100%30-60min0%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%By Public Transport0-30min47%30-60min53%60-120min0%>120min0%no data0%

Family Proceedings

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of litigants in person in the family justice system in each of the last three years.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice does not collect information centrally on Litigants in Person in family court cases. It publishes quarterly figures on the number of disposals and the average time taken for their disposal by case type and by the legal representation of the parties.The latest figures up to quarter 1 (January to March) 2015 can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2015.

Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what consideration was given to the findings of the inspection of Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre, published on 20 May 2015, in making the decision to award new contracts for the running of that centre.

Andrew Selous: The procurement process for the operation of both Rainsbrook STC and Medway STC was undertaken objectively and transparently against the published evaluation criteria and in accordance with the published evaluation booklet that was signed up to by bidders as part of the procurement process.

Magistrates: Resignations

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to ensure continued effective delivery of local justice after the resignation of large numbers of long-serving magistrates.

Mr Shailesh Vara: There is no evidence that magistrates are resigning in greater numbers this year than in previous years.

Ministry of Justice: Freedom of Information

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours his Department spent on processing freedom of information requests in each of the last 24 months.

Dominic Raab: The Department does not hold this information which could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

National Lottery: Scotland

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the sum of money received was from the National Lottery Good Causes programme in Scotland for use in funding the 2012 London Olympics.

Tracey Crouch: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 18 September 2015.The correct answer should have been:

All countries of the UK contributed to the funding of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The initial £410m National Lottery contribution, outlined in the Games bid, was supplemented with a further £675m borrowed as part of the increased Olympic budget. The total transfer from the National Lottery Distribution Fund was £1,085m.  An estimated £114m (taken from across both the £410m and £675m amounts) was the share given by Lottery programmes in Scotland. This includes amounts transferred from distributors operating wholly in Scotland, and notional amounts allocated to Scotland by UK-wide distributors.

Mr Edward Vaizey: All countries of the UK contributed to the funding of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The initial £410m National Lottery contribution, outlined in the Games bid, was supplemented with a further £675m borrowed as part of the increased Olympic budget. The total transfer from the National Lottery Distribution Fund was £1,085m.  An estimated £114m (taken from across both the £410m and £675m amounts) was the share given by Lottery programmes in Scotland. This includes amounts transferred from distributors operating wholly in Scotland, and notional amounts allocated to Scotland by UK-wide distributors.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Freedom of Information

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many hours his Department spent on processing freedom of information requests in each of the last 24 months.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Department does not hold information detailing the total hours spent on processing freedom of information requests. However, there are currently three full time employees at the Department whose primary function is to ‘oversee, respond to or co­ordinate obligations’ under the Freedom of Information Act.

Tourism

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the UK's gross domestic product is accounted for by tourism.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Office for National Statistics estimates that tourism directly contributed £59.6 billion to the UK economy in 2014, accounting for nearly 4% of the UK's Gross Domestic Product.

Tourism: Rural Areas

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage environmentally sustainable tourism in rural area.

Mr Edward Vaizey: My department is encouraging sustainable tourism in England through its Arms length body, VisitEngland. VisitEngland champions the independent Green Tourism Business Scheme and provides a range of toolkits and guidance notes to support tourism businesses, including their Good Practice Sustainability Guides, which provide businesses with easy and practical tips on how to reduce waste, save energy and engage customers.

Tour de France

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will hold discussions with his French counterpart to ensure that cyclists are not attacked by spectators when participating in the Tour de France.

Mr Edward Vaizey: I have no plans to meet my counterpart as this a matter for the Tour de France organisers.

Museums and Galleries: Finance

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria the Government uses to determine which national museums receive government funding; and how such criteria are applied to the National Children's Museum, Eureka.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Government funds a small group of museums with Grant in Aid and there are no plans to extend the number of these at this time. A range of factors determine what constitutes a ‘national museum’, and one of the central criteria is the significance of the museum’s collection. In the case of the National Children’s Museum Government understands and supports the principle of family friendly interactive spaces. Government’s view is that this institution’s collection is not of a standard or scale comparable to National Museums such as the British Museum. It would not, therefore, fall within the criteria for receiving support from central Government or Arts Council England, which is responsible for regional museums.

Department for Work and Pensions

International Labour Organisation

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the UK's membership of the International Labour Organisation.

Priti Patel: We continue to support the ILO’s work and actively engage with the ILO to ensure that it can offer effective policy solutions that address the employment issues and challenges of an increasingly globalised economy.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Habitual Residence Test

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many UK citizens have been unsuccessful in claiming jobseeker's allowance since January 2014 because they did not meet the criteria for the habitual residence test.

Priti Patel: Statistical information regarding the habitual residence test is intended for publication at a future date.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Climate Change

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Adaptation Sub-Committee Progress Report 2014, what steps she is taking to minimise the risks to the well-being of UK citizens identified in that report.

Rory Stewart: The National Adaptation Programme report sets out over 370 actions that are being taken to address the risks identified in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, many of which impact on the well-being of UK citizens. The Government is committed to continue implementing the National Adaptation Programme, working across Government and with business, councils, civil society and academia.

Fisheries: North Sea

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase cod fishing quotas in the North Sea.

George Eustice: I will be seeking the best possible outcome for the UK on North Sea cod in this year’s EU quota negotiations, consistent with the scientific advice and our commitment to achieve maximum sustainable yield (MSY) under the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Agriculture: Treaties

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage international cooperation on the enforcement of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

George Eustice: The UK has taken a lead in establishing a compliance mechanism, and is attending the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture’s sixth Governing Body in October 2015 which will consider further work to support implementation of, and compliance with, the Plant Treaty. This includes the development of online reporting tools. The UK is prepared to nominate an expert for the Plant Treaty’s Compliance Committee for the 2016-19 term.   The UK’s Darwin initiative is aimed at funding projects to help developing countries implement biodiversity conventions. Supporting the implementation of the Plant Treaty by developing countries is identified as a priority area for Darwin funding and we are now funding such projects, including one on the “Mutually supportive implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and Plant Treaty”.

Agriculture

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the development of agroecology across the UK; and if she will withdraw her support of the G7 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition to provide more resources for agroecology enhancement.

George Eustice: Defra is investing £4million over three years in research through the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform to improve the environmental and economic performance of farming. This includes exploring the role of agro-ecological practices as part of innovative farming systems.   Support is also available for UK farmers to adopt environmentally beneficial practices through agri-environment schemes.   The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a multi-donor, multi-stakeholder initiative and operates in ten developing countries. In the UK Government, DFID is leading on our engagement with the programme.

Home Office

Illegal Immigrants: France

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent on additional security at Calais in each month since July 2014.

James Brokenshire: Border Force has funded additional security measures for Calais at £9.46 million since July 2014 as below:2014 July 2014AugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember£167,000£109,000£167,000£114,000£701,000£351,0002015 January2015FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugust£193,000£98,000£6.673 million£168,000£105,000£102,000£184,000£328,000 Note - In March 2015 bills for work undertaken to that point were accounted for at the end of the financial year including a substantial amount for the juxtaposed ports’ grant to the value of £4.893 million. The figures for 2015 do not include all anticipated spend.

Scientists and Engineers: Visas

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many scientists and engineers have been refused a Tier 2 (General) Certificate of Sponsorship since May 2015 due to the annual cap of 20,700; which Standard Occupational Classification codes have been affected by the cap; and how many applications have been refused for each such code.

James Brokenshire: An annual limit on Tier 2 migrant workers coming from overseas was introduced in 2011 as a key part of our strategy for reducing net migration. We have committed to maintaining the limit at 20,700 during this Parliament.Since May 2015, we have not refused any applications for a Tier 2 (General) restricted certificate of sponsorship with a scientist Standard Occupational Classification code. We have refused 66 applications with an engineer Standard Occupational Classification code: Engineer SOC CodesRefused2127 Production and process engineers22123 Electrical engineers32122 Mechanical engineers42124 Electronics engineers62121 Civil engineers82461 Quality control and planning engineers92126 Design and development engineers132129 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified21Total66A full breakdown of all refusals since May 2015, for each Standard Occupational Classification code, has been placed in the House Library.

Refugees: Syria

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide administrative assistance to EU member states receiving the highest numbers of Syrian refugees to help them to process asylum claims.

Richard Harrington: The Government has been very clear that will offer practical assistance to Member states under pressure, both bi-laterally and through the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). We believe it is important to help build asylum and border security capacity and capability in other countries so that they are better able to deal with increased demands on their national systems.We have already provided more resource – over 1,000 working days - to support missions coordinated by EASO to other Member States, such as Italy and Greece, than any other Member State. We continue to provide bi-lateral support to the Greek asylum system and on assisted voluntary return of illegal migrants.We also support the European Commission’s proposals for Hot Spots that will help ensure that migrants are registered and fingerprinted and that refugees are identified and protected quickly, while those with no need of protection can be returned immediately. We will continue to provide resource and expertise to Member States under pressure as and when required.

Immigration Controls: Nurses

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will include nursing on the Shortage Occupation List.

James Brokenshire: The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advises the Government on changes to the Shortage Occupation List.The MAC considered nurses in its February 2015 report, which can be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/partial-review-of-the-shortage-occupation-listsThe evidence provided to the MAC by Government and other organisations is set out in its report.The MAC recommended, based on the evidence it received, that nurses should not be added to the list.

Refugees: EU Countries

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what practical support EU member states, which have recently received the highest numbers of refugees, have requested from the UK; and what such support the Government has provided.

Richard Harrington: In the last three years the UK has provided over 1,000 working days to support missions coordinated by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to other Member States under pressure. This is more than any other EU Member State. In addition, we continue to fund via the UNHCR asylum expertise to the Greek asylum system and support a programme of assisted voluntary return of illegal migrants.We also support the European Commission’s proposals for 'Hot Spot' screening centres. These centres will help ensure that migrants are registered and fingerprinted at pressure points on the EU external border and that refugees are identified and protected quickly, while those with no need of protection can be returned immediately. We are discussing with EASO and Frontex how best we can contribute.We have created a multi-agency 90-strong team from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the CPS to fight the criminal gangs that are exploiting vulnerable people and are working closely with Europol to strengthen its operation to tackle organised crime groups involved in smuggling people across sea and land routes. We are focusing on tracking vessels in the Mediterranean and bringing together intelligence from EU and Europol partners to target these criminals.We continue to support Frontex operations in the Mediterranean by providing debriefing and nationality screening experts to Operations Triton and Poseidon. The UK has an outstanding offer of additional debriefing and nationality screening experts which was made to Frontex during August. We are currently awaiting directions from Frontex as to where this resource may best be utilised.The UK is excluded from the Frontex Regulation on Schengen-building grounds. Therefore our officers participate in Frontex joint operations and other activities with the agreement of the Management Board on a case-by-case basis in an observational/advisory role.

Taxis: Vetting

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on reducing the time taken for disclosure checks for taxi drivers in London.

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided to each police force by the Disclosure and Barring Service in each of the last two financial years.

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that vacancies in the Metropolitan Police Service's Disclosure Unit are filled.

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the performance of the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Karen Bradley: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 18 September 2015.The correct answer should have been:

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides the Home Office with monthly updates on performance. Latest figures (relating to July 2015) show that the average processing time for disclosure applications was 14.3 days. The DBS operates to a target to issue 95% of disclosure certificates within 56 days (8 weeks) and in July 95.2% were issued within this time.DBS funding for police disclosure units in 2013-14 and 2014-15 is set out in the attached table. attached table. Decisions on the operational deployment of resources, including vacancy filling, are matters for Chief Constables in association with Police and Crime Commissioners.The DBS is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to help reduce the time taken to process disclosure checks for all applicants including taxi drivers in London. The MPS has established a Gold Group, which includes DBS representation, to develop and implement a plan to improve MPS disclosure turnaround times. 



DBS Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 302.73 KB)

Karen Bradley: The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides the Home Office with monthly updates on performance. Latest figures (relating to July 2015) show that the average processing time for disclosure applications was 14.3 days. The DBS operates to a target to issue 95% of disclosure certificates within 56 days (8 weeks) and in July 95.2% were issued within this time.DBS funding for police disclosure units in 2013-14 and 2014-15 is set out in the attached table. attached table. Decisions on the operational deployment of resources, including vacancy filling, are matters for Chief Constables in association with Police and Crime Commissioners.The DBS is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to help reduce the time taken to process disclosure checks for all applicants including taxi drivers in London. The MPS has established a Gold Group, which includes DBS representation, to develop and implement a plan to improve MPS disclosure turnaround times. 



DBS Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 302.73 KB)

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Education

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2015 to Question 8447 and the Answer of 15 April 2013 to Question 150468, for what reasons providing the number of RAF visits to schools in a disaggregated format for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England is now only possible at disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: To provide data for each of the individual countries of the United Kingdom would have required a manual search of records at each Armed Forces Careers Office. These searches would have taken several days to complete and therefore, would have incurred disproportionate cost.

Oman: Military Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many army personnel were training members of the armed forces in Oman in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence has 42 Army personnel permanently assigned to the Loan Service team in Oman conducting training of Omani armed forces. The Army also deployed five Short Term Training Teams during the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015. A total of 23 Army personnel deployed to Oman over this period to conduct these Short Term Training Team activities with the Omani Army.

HM Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many permanent staff members are employed by HM Revenue and Customs to undertake national minimum wage inspection activity.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review all complaints that are referred to them.   There are currently 232 staff working in National Minimum Wage for HMRC, up from 171 at the start of 2014/15. The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage very seriously and has increased funding from £8m in 2013/14 to £13.2m in 2015/16 allowing for around 278 staff to be in post by the end of 2015/16.

Slavery

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who he has appointed as his Department's Modern Slavery Strategic Lead.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have appointed a Modern Slavery Strategic Lead who is working across the department and with other local and national agencies to coordinate operational activity. The lead sits in Enforcement and Compliance in HMRC, reporting to the Director General Enforcement and Compliance at a senior level.

Slavery

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what processes are in place for liaison between his Department's Modern Slavery Strategic Lead and key stakeholders in civil society.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Modern Slavery Strategic Lead works closely with all appropriate government and non-government partners at both a national, strategic level and a local, operational level.   At a national level, HMRC is represented on all the cross-government Modern Slavery governance bodies. More locally, the Modern Slavery Strategic Lead represents HMRC on local anti-slavery partnership groups, which include non-governmental organisations.

Slavery

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enforcement actions were undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last three years involving a victim of modern slavery.

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enforcement actions were undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last three years involving unlawful deductions made more than two years before an unlawful deductions claim was brought by a victim of modern slavery.

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enforcement actions were undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last three years involving unlawful deductions made more than two years before an unlawful deductions claim was brought.

Mr David Gauke: While HM Revenue and Customs has been working cases involving Modern Day Slavery for some time, data has not been collected for this period.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Jim Shannon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the process for target-setting for call answering times at the income tax helpline.

Mr David Gauke: Treasury Ministers have meetings with senior officials within HM Revenue and Customs on a regular basis as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequential will accrue to Wales as a result of the planned £8 billion annual expenditure on the NHS in England.

Greg Hands: The Barnett Formula will be applied to the Department of Health’s Spending Review settlement in the usual way. This will be reflected in the Welsh Government’s allocations when the outcome of the Spending Review is published on 25 November.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government on devolving vehicle excise duty to Wales.

Greg Hands: The Chancellor has received no recent representations from the Welsh Government on this subject. In November 2013, the Government accepted the Silk Commission’s recommendation that Vehicle Excise Duty should not be devolved to Wales.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequential will accrue to Wales as a result of the use of vehicle excise duty to fund expenditure on the Road Investment Fund in England.

Greg Hands: The Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his Summer Budget statement that the Government will engage with the devolved administrations on the funding implications for them of the reforms to Vehicle Excise Duty. Those discussions are at an early stage.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received from the Welsh Government on the effect of the Barnett Formula on the level of funding Wales receives.

Greg Hands: The Barnett Formula is updated at every Spending Review. In accordance with the Statement of Funding Policy, the Treasury consults as appropriate with the Devolved Administrations.   The St David’s Day Command Paper published in February made clear that we would introduce a funding floor at the Spending Review.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Louise Haigh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which his Department has adhered to section 23 of the memorandum of understanding between the Office for Budget Responsibility and his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: Ensuring an open and transparent working relationship between the Treasury and the OBR is supported by the jointly agreed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which the Treasury has always respected. This includes Section 23 of the MoU.

EU Budget: Contributions

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of revenues assigned to the EU have been retained as UK national collection fees in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke: In accordance with Article 2(3) of Council Decision 2007/436/EC, Euratom of June 7th 2007 Member States retain, by way of collection costs, 25% of the amount of Traditional Own Resources, customs duties and sugar levies, which they collect.

Inheritance Tax

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to further reduce the level of inheritance tax on homes.

Mr David Gauke: At the Summer Budget 2015, the Government announced it will reduce the burden of inheritance tax for families by making it easier to pass on a home to direct descendants. Information about this measure is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-main-residence-nil-rate-band-and-the-existing-nil-rate-band/inheritance-tax-main-residence-nil-rate-band-and-the-existing-nil-rate-band.   The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make an assessment of the effect of changes in the level of the feed-in-tariff on access to solar power by households.

Andrea Leadsom: The impact assessment accompanying the current FIT Review consultation includes an assessment of the effect of revised tariffs on household-scale solar PV deployment.The Impact Assessment can be found at this address:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/458662/IA_for_FITs_consultation_August_2015_-_FINAL_docx__e-signature_included__v2.pdf

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations she has received from the solar energy industry on the feed-in tariff subsidy for solar panels; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: We issued a public consultation on the FIT Review on 27th August. The consultation will close on 23 October and we expect many responses from across the renewable energy industry, finance, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the general public.Since then the Secretary of State has held meetings with the British Photovoltaic Association and the Solar Trade Association, and officials are planning a series of stakeholder events to be run across Great Britain, before the consultation ends.

Carbon Emissions

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the findings of the Committee on Climate Change's 2014-15 Annual Report, what steps she is taking to achieve the necessary strengthening of policies identified to meet future carbon budgets.

Andrea Leadsom: We will respond to the Committee on Climate Change’s Annual Progress Report by the 15th October. This will set out our response to each of the Committee’s recommendations.In addition to this Government response, we will bring forward further proposals on how we plan to meet carbon budgets over the course of next year.

Fracking

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of shale gas extraction on delivery of the (a) second and (b) third Carbon Budget.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government’s independent advisory body on climate change, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has considered the role of shale gas in previous reports about carbon budgets to 2027[1]; this included the second and third carbon budgets. They concluded that UK shale gas production can be consistent with meeting our carbon targets.The Infrastructure Act 2015 places a new requirement on the Secretary of State to seek advice from the CCC on the likely impact of onshore oil and gas production (including shale gas) on meeting our carbon budgets and our 2050 80% emission reduction target. The first CCC report is due by 1 April 2016.  [1] For an overview of the CCC work on shale gas please see also http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/environmental-audit/EAC-Shale-gas-letter.pdf .

Sellafield

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on protecting high hazard areas of work at the Sellafield nuclear facility.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 16 September 2015



Sellafield is the most hazardous site in Europe and contains the legacy ponds and silos – some of the most challenging decommissioning facilities. These have been deemed ‘intolerable’ by the Office of Nuclear Regulation, meaning that there can be no constraint on progress to remediate the hazards.As part of its request for future funding as part of the Spending Review announced by HMT on 21 July, DECC’s return contains details of NDA’s estimates of expenditure in line with its existing plans.

Plutonium

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the energy generating potential is of the UK's plutonium stockpile.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 16 September 2015



The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is in the process of submitting advice to DECC, which together with other sources of information and evidence, will enable DECC to consider options for the disposition of plutonium.There are a number of options for disposing of plutonium that will be considered. There is variation in the generating potential of some of the options, so there is not one specific estimate of the generating potential of the UK’s plutonium inventory.When the Government is confident that its preferred option for plutonium disposition could be implemented safely and securely, and in a way that is affordable, deliverable, and offers value for money, we will be in a position to proceed.

Plutonium

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department plans to take a decision on the reuse options for managing plutonium stocks in 2015-16.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 16 September 2015



The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) are in the process of submitting advice to support DECC in its considerations. This, together with other sources of information and evidence, will enable DECC to consider options for the way forward. A decision is expected to be made by ministers on how to proceed during 2015/16. However, only when the Government is confident that its preferred option could be implemented safely and securely, in way that is affordable, deliverable, and offers value for money, will it be in a position to proceed.

Renewable Energy: Public Opinion

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish a disaggregation of the figure relating to the popularity of renewable energy amongst the public, with a breakdown of individual renewable energy technologies from her Department's Public Attitudes Tracker - Wave 14 document.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 18 September 2015



Wave 14 of the Public Attitudes Tracker reveals that 75% of participants support the use of renewable energy to provide electricity, fuel and heat to the UK, 20% neither support nor oppose its use, and 4% oppose it.The questions on individual renewable energy technologies were not included as part of the wave 14 survey, and will now feature bi-annually. This change is part of a wider review of the Public Attitudes Tracker, which commenced at the beginning of 2015, with the aim to ensure existing questions continue to add value and to increase capacity for additional topical questions going forward.As three years’ worth of data reveals no clear pattern of change, DECC considered that understanding public attitudes to renewable technologies would not be hampered by reducing the frequency. Similar decisions were taken for the more frequent questions on energy saving and wasting, and energy security. The specific renewable questions will feature again in the next wave to be published on 10th November.

UN Climate Change Conference

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent progress has been made towards reaching an international climate change agreement in Paris in 2015.

Amber Rudd: Progress is being made towards reaching an international climate change agreement in Paris and there is political will for a deal:So far 60 countries (including all G7 countries) responsible for 62% of global emissions have submitted their emission reduction commitments;G7 Leaders are committed to an ambitious climate package to be agreed in Paris and to the need for strong language on future ambition and a commitment to long term decarbonisation and;Progress is being made on climate finance. Last week, I co-facilitated the finance discussions at the Paris Ministerial meetings and we made progress with other developed countries on how we count mobilised climate finance towards delivering the $100bn 2020 target. I will continue to play a strong and constructive role leading up to and during the Paris COP.

Renewable Energy

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress has been made in achieving the level of renewable deployment set out in her Department's  energy market review implementation plan.

Amber Rudd: My Department recently published updated analysis on estimated capacity of key renewable technologies in 2020/21, compared to the 2013 Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan. Even with proposed cost control measures, we are on course to meet the Delivery Plan ranges and to deliver at least 30% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2020. In 2014, nearly a fifth of the UK's electricity came from renewables.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Freedom of Information

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many hours her Department spent on processing freedom of information requests in each of the last 24 months.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has provided a Shared FOI Service along with the Wales Office since September 2014. The FOI Team consists of one full-time member of NIO staff and three part-time members of Wales Office staff, who together contribute 0.4 FTE (full-time equivalent). Man hours spent on this area of work are not measured on a monthly basis; the Departments have allocated 1.4 staff who are responsible for this area of work.

Department of Health

Statins

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure patients prescribed statins can make a choice on what type of statins they receive.

Jane Ellison: Decisions regarding the appropriateness of a particular treatment, including statins, should be made by clinicians in partnership with patients. The individual circumstances of each patient should be taken into account, alongside their medical history, needs and preferences.

Smoking

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on how many people of what age ranges gave up smoking in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: The Health and Social Care Information Centre collects this information on behalf of the Department and it is made publicly available at the following web addresses:   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB00417/nhs-stop-smok-serv-eng-2010-2011-tab.xls   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB07011/stat-stop-smok-eng-apr-11-mar-12-tab1.xls   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB12228/stat-stop-smok-serv-eng-apr-12-mar-13-tab1.xls   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB14610/stat-stop-smok-serv-eng-apr-13-mar-14-tab.xlsx   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB18002/stat-stop-smok-serv-eng-annual-1415.xlsx

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of patient outcomes of those diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in (a) London and (b) Greater Manchester.

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with health bodies on ensuring timely treatment for sufferers of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of time is between the diagnosis of a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and referral for specialist treatment in (a) London and (b) Greater Manchester.

George Freeman: Information on patient outcomes of those diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) in London and Greater Manchester is not held centrally by the Department. EDS falls within specialised services managed by NHS England.   The UK Strategy for Rare Diseases sets out the Government’s on-going commitment to ensuring that patients with rare diseases, including EDS, have access to high quality services. The Strategy is discussed regularly with health bodies including NHS England. The national specialised service for atypical or complex cases aims to reduce times to diagnosis and reduce the number of hospital appointments required to achieve a specific diagnosis.   Information about the average time from diagnosis to referral for specialist treatment is not available centrally. Patients suspected of having EDS may be assessed and diagnosed in a wide range of settings. These include United Kingdom regional clinical genetics clinics and various other secondary and tertiary speciality clinics.

NHS

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward proposals for an independent Royal Commission on the future of the NHS.

Alistair Burt: There is no plan to launch a Royal Commission into the future of the National Health Service. The Government remains committed to the principles of the NHS, enshrined in the NHS Constitution and in working with the NHS in implementing its own plan for the future of the NHS – the Five Year Forward View.

Research: Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8266, what representations he has received from (a) universities and (b) other research institutions on the future funding of research budgets; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: Correspondence records indicate that Ministers of the Department have received no letters from universities or research institutions specifically about future allocations to the Department’s budget for research and development following the 2015 Spending Review.

NHS Trusts: Vacancies

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of unfilled vacancies in NHS trusts.

Ben Gummer: Data in respect of the number of unfilled vacancies in the National Health Service is not collected by the Department.

NHS: Translation Services

Sir Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England seeks to recover the cost of its translation and interpretation services for patients who are not UK residents.

Alistair Burt: A person who is not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom is subject to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 which apply charges to overseas visitors for any NHS hospital services they receive, unless an exemption category in the Charging Regulations applies.   Overseas visitors who ordinarily reside outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and who have not paid the Health Surcharge, nor meet any exemption from charge will be charged 150% of the national tariff. Charging 150% of the national tariff provides for additional administrations charges incurred with treating overseas visitors such as translation services.   Charges for overseas visitors who ordinarily reside within EEA states can be claimed from the country they normally reside in.

Hospitals: Translation Services

Sir Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much NHS England spent on translation and interpretation services for hospital patients in each of the last five years.

Sir Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information NHS England holds on expenditure on translation and interpretation services for (a) EU and (b) non-EU patients.

Alistair Burt: We do not hold this information centrally. National Health Service organisations have a duty to follow equalities legislation. This includes making sure their communities can understand information about the NHS services and that patients and clinicians can communicate with each other. We encourage the NHS to be efficient and save money by working together and sharing resources.

Donors

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote the donation of blood, organs and other organic materials.

Jane Ellison: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the organ donation organisation for the United Kingdom and is funded by the Department and the Devolved Administrations. Its remit also includes the provision of a reliable efficient supply of blood in England and North Wales, and providing tissues to the National Health Service.   NHSBT actively campaigns to promote public awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation and to encourage people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). Underpinning NHSBT’s work to promote organ donation is encouraging people to join the ODR and then to let their loved ones know that they have made a decision to donate. Encouraging this conversation is important as families are more likely to agree to donation if they know that is what their loved one wanted.   The Department has also worked to raise general awareness of persistent inequalities people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background face when trying to find a suitable bone marrow or organ donor and supports the work of the National BAME Transplant Alliance. Launched in 2012, this group helps to coordinate the work of BAME organisations promoting donation.   The UK’s health administrations, many charities, community groups and hospitals also work hard to promote organ and tissue donation and NHSBT work collaboratively with them wherever possible.   NHSBT regularly campaigns to encourage more of the eligible population, including from the BAME community to donate blood. Although blood stocks are currently in a healthy position, there is always a need for new donors to fill the gaps left by existing donors who are no longer able to give blood - to ensure that we have the right mix of blood groups to match patients’ needs. NHSBT co-ordinates local and national awareness campaigns, such as the current ‘Bleed for England’ campaign, which are intended to motivate thousands of people to start donating blood.   In addition, the Department funds the national Gamete Donation Trust through a contract to provide a range of services to promote gamate donation and support the recruitment and retention of egg and sperm donors, which helps infertile couples.

Prescription Drugs: Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce and (b) monitor the sale of prescription drugs on the internet.

George Freeman: In the United Kingdom, all categories of medicines may be traded online legally but in the case of prescription only medicines (POM) and pharmacy (P) medicines, these may only be sold or supplied to the public through registered pharmacy premises (by or under the supervision of a pharmacist). Additionally, POMs may only be supplied in response to a prescription from an authorised healthcare professional.   A UK registered pharmacy may have a presence on the internet; however the requirements of legislation apply equally to both UK internet pharmacies and bricks-and-mortar premises.   The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitors the internet for websites operating outside legal requirements and, in collaboration with Internet Service Providers, takes steps to close down sites both in the UK and abroad. The MHRA has closed down 1,973 websites (including those based overseas) during 2015 alone and brought into compliance many others.   The illegal sale and supply of medicines via Internet poses considerable risks to UK patients but this is in essence a global problem and the MHRA is working with other regulators, law enforcement authorities and Government Departments within the UK, European Union and elsewhere to address the complex issues involved.

Pregnancy: Seroxat

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the effect of the consumption of the paxil and seroxat forms of the drug paroxetine on the incidence of depression among pregnant women.

Alistair Burt: There have been no recent discussions with the Royal Colleges on the effects of taking the paxil and seroxat forms of paroxetine on the incidence of depression among pregnant women.   The Mandate from the Government to NHS England includes an objective for NHS England to work with partner organisations to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support. The Government will provide an additional £75 million over the next five years for services to support women with mental ill health in the perinatal period.   The British National Formulary advises that medication should be prescribed only when it is necessary, and in all cases the benefit of administering the medicine should be considered in relation to the risk involved. This is particularly important during pregnancy, when the risk to both mother and fetus must be considered.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the development and use of progesterone and tamoxifen to treat breast cancer.

George Freeman: There have been no such discussions.   Research into the use of progesterone in combination with tamoxifen for the treatment of breast cancer is still at an early stage and has not yet been trialled in humans.

Dementia: Diabetes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Physicians on a link between type 2 diabetes and dementia; and what steps he is taking to treat dementia caused in that way.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is implementing the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, and it is possible that prevention of Type 2 diabetes may in the longer term reduce dementia risk, although at this point this is speculative rather than being based on evidence.   The treatment of dementia associated with Type 2 diabetes is as for any dementia, although it is important to also address the Type 2 diabetes and vascular risk. People with dementia who also have diabetes need support to manage their condition.   Improving the treatment and care of people with dementia, reducing the incidence of dementia and improving dementia research, is a key priority for the Government. That is why in February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia 2020 as a successor to the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2012-2015.   My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had and continues to have discussions on these matters with a range of organisations including the Royal College of Physicians.

Dementia: Vitamin D

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Physicians on using vitamin D as a treatment for delaying or preventing dementia.

Jane Ellison: Current evidence is not supportive of using vitamin D as a treatment for delaying or preventing dementia.

Prescriptions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to monitor the level of prescriptions issued by GPs; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Clinicians are responsible for their own treatment decisions taking any relevant guidance into account. They should always satisfy themselves that the drugs or other substances they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed, that patients are adequately monitored and that, where necessary, additional support or supervision is available.   Within the General Medical Services (GMS) and Personal Medical Services Regulations and Alternative Provider Medical Services Directions there are clauses in relation to prescribing and dispensing. The GMS Contracts Regulations Schedule 6 Part 3 paragraph 46 says:   “Excessive prescribing 46 - (1) The contractor shall not prescribe drugs, medicines or appliances whose cost or quantity, in relation to any patient is, by reason of the character of the drug, medicine or appliance in question in excess of that which was reasonably necessary for the proper treatment of that patient.   (2) In considering whether a contractor has breached its obligations under sub-paragraph (1) NHS England must seek the views of the Local Medical Committee (if any) for the area in which the contractor provides services under the contract.”   Practitioners are encouraged to prescribe rationally and to make the best possible use of National Health Service resources.   Professional bodies issue standards and/or guidance for their members on prescribing. An example of this is the General Medical Council’s “Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices”. It provides more detailed advice on how to comply with these principles when prescribing and managing medicines and medical devices, including appliances. If clinicians act outside of this guidance they can be held to account and potentially lose their professional registration, meaning they are unable to practice.

Prescription Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the pharmaceuticals industry on the potential merits of the use of identity cards for the use of prescription drugs to minimise misuse of such drugs.

George Freeman: We have no plans to do so.   My Rt. hon. Friend the Home Secretary commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to explore the potential for medical and social harms arising from the diversion and illicit supply of prescription drugs.   The Committee’s report is expected later this year and we will consider its conclusions carefully.

Drugs: Misuse

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance his Department provides to people addicted to legal highs.

Jane Ellison: The dependence-forming potential of many new psychoactive substances (NPS) is still largely unknown, and the number of people attending specialist drug treatment services is relatively small. If users need help, it will more likely be because they have acute NPS-related problems (eg, agitation, palpitations, seizures) and they will probably first present at accident and emergency (A&E) departments.   Local authorities are responsible for assessing drug treatment needs in their local areas and providing services to meet that need. This includes determining the scale of NPS use and harm in their areas and ensuring there are services to tackle that harm.   Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities in their work of assessing need and planning services, by improving data, intelligence and information sharing systems, to ensure prevention and treatment are as effective as they can be in the changing NPS market.   PHE has produced an NPS toolkit for substance misuse commissioners which gives a broad overview of the challenges from NPS and provides commissioners with resources and advice to inform their work.   PHE has also supported Project NEPTUNE, which is producing detailed and practical clinical guidance and tools for A&E, drug treatment and other services that deal with people who have NPS problems.

Psychiatry: Children

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the contribution made by Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists to the NHS.

Alistair Burt: The Department has not made a specific assessment of the effectiveness of the contribution made by Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists to the National Health Service.   Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists form part of the wider workforce on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and can provide support in a range of settings. Health Education England commissions training for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy as part of a four year doctorate. The training and practice is accredited by the Association of Child Psychotherapists.   Building the capacity, capability and confidence of both the specialist and wider workforce is a key part of the Government’s approach to improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, sustained through a culture of continuous evidence-based service improvement, delivered by a workforce with the right mix of skills, competencies and experience.   In addition, the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme is transforming existing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to ensure they are providing evidence based therapies coupled with session by session outcome monitoring. The programme is being expanded to cover additional areas of clinical practice, so that all children and young people’s mental health services are able to deliver high quality evidence-based care by 2018.

Primary Health Care

Heather Wheeler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in (a) general practice and (b) primary care.

Alistair Burt: The Government is committed to increasing the primary and community care workforce by at least 10,000 by 2020, including an estimated 5,000 extra doctors working in general practice and a further 5,000 other primary care. To release capacity in general practice we are also are working with NHS England to consider ways that we can reduce bureaucracy and re-shape patient demand.   In order to improve general practitioner (GP) access, £175 million (including £25 million from the Infrastructure Fund) has been invested in the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund to test improved access to GP services. We have also committed £1 billion to a four year Primary Care Infrastructure Fund, to accelerate improvements in GP premises and infrastructure. Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has benefitted from both of these initiatives, having piloted new models of access (e.g. video consultations) through the Access Fund, and also three local GP premises have had their developments approved as part of the 2015/16 Infrastructure Fund.   We are also committed to promoting innovative models of primary care and wider out-of-hospital services, as well as making better use of pharmacists, which will improve capacity by breaking down barriers between care providers. For example community pharmacists can provide support to GPs is by providing seasonal flu vaccinations – a new advanced service under the community pharmacy contractual framework has recently been introduced. Southern Derbyshire CCG is also exploring the potential to pilot clinical pharmacists in general practice to reduce workload pressures on GPs. Furthermore, Dental practices in Derby City have been allocated £600,000 by NHS England to provide access for over 8,000 additional patients per annum.

Morquio Syndrome: Drugs

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS England funds homecare costs for patients currently in receipt of the Vimizim drug from BioMarin.

George Freeman: NHS England can confirm that it does and will continue to reimburse costs incurred by National Health Service trusts for providing homecare for patients currently in receipt of Vimizim.   NHS England remains committed to supporting any additional costs associated with the delivery of Vimizim to individuals who are continuing treatment following on from the clinical trial.   This message was communicated in a letter from the Director of Specialised Commissioning, Richard Jeavons, to the Chief Executive of the Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (The MPS Society), Christine Lavery, on 17 August.

NHS England: Correspondence

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will instruct the Director of Specialised Commissioning at NHS England to respond to the letter from the MPS Society dated 20 August 2015.

George Freeman: The Director of Specialised Commissioning at NHS England, Richard Jeavons, has confirmed that he has received the letter from the MPS society dated 20 August.   A response to the correspondence was sent on 16 September following Mr Jeavons’ return from a period of annual leave.

Depressive Illnesses

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in which age bands have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: The information is not available in the requested format. However, the Health and Social Care Information Centre does hold information on the number of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder by age bands for the years 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 and the breakdown is given in the attached table, Count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a primary diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder by age band for years 2009-10 to 2013-14.  



FAEs- Bipolar affective disorder by age 2009-14
(Excel SpreadSheet, 42.04 KB)

Cardiovascular System: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to provide renal denervation for the treatment of high blood pressure on the NHS.

Jane Ellison: NHS England’s Clinical Commissioning Policy Statement Renal Denervation for Resistant Hypertension, published in April 2013, states that NHS England does not routinely commission renal denervation as a treatment for resistant hypertension.

Palliative Care

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that health professionals across the United Kingdom are made aware of all the palliative care teams and resources at their disposal.

Ben Gummer: We are committed to ensuring high quality palliative care services are available to everyone who needs them, whether they are being cared for in hospital, a care home, or their own home.   Palliative and end of life care is everyone’s business and individual clinicians, hospitals and general practitioner practices are responsible for ensuring they are aware of local palliative care provision and for coordinating that care effectively so that their patients can receive high quality palliative care services when they need them.   In 2014, we published One Chance to Get it Right, which set out a new approach to care for dying people based on five Priorities for Care, and specific guidance for health and care staff, provider organisations and commissioners in England on implementing the new approach.   Following publication, members of the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People, which produced the report, undertook a range of activities to raise awareness of the Priorities and the new approach among health and care staff, the public, dying people, relatives and carers.   Alongside this, Health Education England, working with NHS England and others developed new and updated education and training materials and provision to ensure the new approach was fully embedded in the training staff receive.

Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on ringfencing Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme payments specifically to pay for medicinal drugs.

George Freeman: Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) payments are allocated to each of the four countries of the United Kingdom on an agreed basis each year. It is a matter for the devolved health administrations to decide how to use the apportioned payments they receive from the PPRS.   The Department ensures that all the income it receives from PPRS payments in England is reinvested in the National Health Service for patients’ benefit. The Department includes the expected PPRS payments in setting the NHS England allocations in advance of each year.   NHS England is responsible for allocating its overall budget (which includes expected income from PPRS payments in England) between clinical commissioning groups, specialised commissioning etc. Following normal Government accounting rules, there is no separately identified or ring-fenced funding stream associated with the PPRS payments.   The Government believes that NHS commissioners and providers are best placed to decide how to allocate their budgets to deliver improvements in the outcomes for patients. The PPRS includes a number of commitments for improving patient outcomes by improving access to clinically and cost effective medicines.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what projections his Department has made of the number of people with diabetes in 2050.

Jane Ellison: The Department has made no such estimate.

Diabetes: Orthopaedics

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much it has cost the NHS to treat patients with diabetes-related amputations in each of the last five years.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much it costs on average to treat patients with diabetic retinopathy for one year.

Jane Ellison: We do not hold this information in the format requested.

Glaucoma: Medical Treatments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much it costs on average to treat patients with glaucoma.

Alistair Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table from reference costs for 2013-14, which are the average unit cost to National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts of providing defined services.   The table shows the costs of a surgical procedure covering one episode of care under one consultant in an admitted patient or outpatient setting and does not include other elements of the patient pathway such as general practitioner consultations or outpatient appointments.   Cost of a glaucoma procedure, 2013-14 Healthcare Resource GroupNational average unit costMajor Glaucoma Procedures with Complications and Comorbidities (CC) Score 1+1,689Major Glaucoma Procedures with CC Score 0884Intermediate Glaucoma Procedures with CC Score 1+1,236Intermediate Glaucoma Procedures with CC Score 0772Minor Glaucoma Procedures with CC Score 1+680Minor Glaucoma Procedures with CC Score 0181 Source: 2013-14 reference costs, Department of Health Notes: 1. The HRG classification groups procedures into categories such as major, intermediate and minor, according to their complexity. 2. Complication and comorbidity scores describe the illness severity and complexity of patients, and the additional resources required for their treatment.

Naloxone

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment (a) Public Health England and (b) NICE have made of the current provision, availability and use of Naloxone in community settings for the treatment of drug overdose; and what commissioning guidance each such body has issued for this drug.

Jane Ellison: The Government has accepted the advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that naloxone needs to be more widely available. The Human Medicines (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2015 which come into effect on 1 October underpin the implementation of that decision.   Public Health England (PHE) provides support to local authorities to carry out a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) in their local area each year. JSNAs identify the current and future health and care needs of the local population, including drug treatment services, and help build a robust evidence base of local needs.   The drugs harm interventions section of the PHE Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco Joint Strategic Needs Assessment support pack (http://www.nta.nhs.uk/healthcare-JSNA.aspx) includes a checklist of questions for commissioners to consider. The checklist is titled ‘What questions should you ask to check you are following the evidence and best practice that supports the principle?’ and includes the question “Are effective overdose-awareness training and information, and naloxone provided for service users and their family/carers?”.   In February 2015, PHE published advice for commissioners and providers on the provision of naloxone, so that commissioners and providers could take action to widen the availability of naloxone:   http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/phetake-homenaloxoneforopioidoverdosefeb2015rev.pdf   The role of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is to provide evidence based guidance, advice, quality standards and information services for the health, public health and social care sectors. It does not have responsibility for assessing the current provision, availability or use of medicines or treatments. We understand there are no plans to ask NICE to develop commissioning guidance on naloxone to treat opioid overdoses.

Prisons: Heroin

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prisoners in what age groups were addicted to heroin in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jane Ellison: There are no figures available for prisoners addicted to heroin.